Washing drum unit with a jet spray

ABSTRACT

A washing machine has a rotatable drum that is positioned within a tub. The drum has a drum base at one end of the drum. The drum base includes at least one slot to enable the passage of water into the drum. The tub has a tub base at one end of the tub. The tub base includes a water inlet that is arranged in line with the at least one slot in the drum base so that water is sprayed into the drum when the at least one slot rotates into alignment with the water inlet on the tub base and so that the spray of water into the drum is interrupted when the at least one slot rotates out of alignment with the water inlet on the tub base.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/221,302, which was filed on Apr. 2, 2021. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to washing appliances, such as a washing machine, that includes a jet spray from the back side of the drum unit.

BACKGROUND

In current washing machines, the procedure to wet and rinse clothes positioned inside the drum unit is to pump water from the tub bottom side. Gradually, the water level rises reaching the clothes to be wetted or rinsed. This process, although very simple, is often times time consuming and ineffective. This is due to the fact that the bottom portion of the tub needs to be filled before the water level reaches the clothes. Accordingly, this is an inefficient and an ineffective way of the wetting/rinsing phase of adding water to the tub.

In prior art washing machines, jet spray from the back side of the drum uses a complex dedicated drum and tub configurations. These configurations include cavities and pipes that need to be preventably filled with water. This increases the required pumping capacity. Additionally, since some of the features are assembled on the drum, the dynamic performance is affected due to the increased inertia. See U.S. Pat. No. 6,981,395 B2 and U.S. Publ. No. 2006/0081018 A2.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present disclosure to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art references. The present disclosure provides a simple design providing a jet spray from the drum rear and tub assembly. The present disclosure eliminates attached features to the drum therefore eliminating the increased inertia effect. Also, the present disclosure provides modifications to the back side of the drum to provide a jet spray.

SUMMARY

According to a first object of the disclosure, an assembly for a washing machine is provided that includes a rotatable drum with a cylindrical wall and a drum base. The drum base is positioned at one end of the cylindrical wall of the rotatable drum. The drum base includes a projecting member to space clothes in the rotatable drum from the drum base. At least one slot or aperture is in the drum base. A tub includes a cylindrical wall and a tub base. The tub base is positioned at one end of the cylindrical wall of the tub. The tub receives the rotating drum within its cylindrical wall. The tub base includes a water inlet. The at least one slot or aperture in the drum base is positioned to rotate into and out of alignment with the water inlet in the tub base as the drum rotates to enable a pulsed flow of water into the rotatable drum.

In accordance with other additional aspect of the present disclosure, the projection member includes a plurality of propeller-like members. The drum base includes a plurality of slots, preferably three slots, and the slot(s) may have an arcuate shape. The meshing arrangement between the drum base and the tub base may be formed by a plurality of projections on the drum base and the tub base. The projections are concentric. Also, the projections are spaced with respect to one another to provide an interleaved set of projections that are positioned adjacent to one another to provide an alternating arrangement of projections. Thus, the projections form a labyrinth seal.

According to further aspects of the present disclosure, the washing machine assembly further comprises a housing that receives the rotatable drum and the tub described above as a sub-assembly that is positioned inside the housing and a door that is coupled with the housing to enable access into the rotatable drum. The rotatable drum includes a shaft that extends through the tub and is connected with a motor that is configured to rotate the rotatable drum within the tub. The water inlet extends through the tub base, has a cylindrical or conical shape, and is coupled to a water source. The at least one slot enables water to be sprayed into the rotatable drum, while it rotates, to provide a spray jet of water into the rotatable drum. Rotation of the rotatable drum cause the water inlet in the tub base to come into alignment with the at least one slot in the drum base and spray water into the rotatable drum. As the rotatable drum continues to rotate, the at least one slot is rotated out of alignment with the water inlet. When this happens, water is maintained around the water inlet due to the meshing arrangement between the rotatable drum and the tub. Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

DRAWINGS

The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a washing machine appliance;

FIG. 2 is a perspective section view of a tub and drum assembly of the washing machine appliance illustrated in FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a perspective exploded section view of the tub and drum assembly illustrated in FIG. 2 ;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial perspective section view of the tub and drum assembly illustrated in FIG. 2 showing a rotational position of the drum where a slot in the drum base is aligned with an inlet in the tub; and

FIG. 5 is another enlarged partial perspective section view of the tub and drum assembly illustrated in FIG. 2 showing a different rotational position of the drum where the slot in the drum base is out of alignment with the inlet in the tub.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Turning to the figures, a washing machine is illustrated and designated with the reference numeral 10. The washing machine 10 includes a housing 12 with a door 14 enabling access inside of the washing machine 10. A drum and tub assembly 16 is positioned inside of the housing 12.

The drum and tub assembly 16 includes a drum 18 positioned within a tub 20. The drum 18 includes a cylindrical wall 22 and a drum base 24 at one end. The other end of the drum 18 is opened to enable receipt of clothes. The drum base 24 includes a plurality of projections 28 on its inner surface extending into a cavity defined by the cylindrical wall 22 and drum base 24. The projections 28 provide the drum base 24 with an overall propeller-like shape. The projections 28 space clothes from the back of the drum base 24. Thus, as the drum 18 rotates, the clothes are spaced away from the drum base 24. The drum base 24 includes at least one arcuate slot 32. As shown, three slots 32 are present. The slots or apertures 32 enable water to be sprayed into the drum 18, while it rotates, to provide a spray jet for the drum 18. The outer surface 36 of the drum base 24 includes at least one meshing projection 38. The projections 38 mesh with like projections on the tub 20 as will be discussed herein. Also, the drum 18 includes a shaft 40 that fits through the tub 20 and is connected with a motor to rotate the drum 18 within the tub 20.

The tub 20 includes a cylindrical wall 42 and a tub base 44. The tub 20 is stationarily positioned within the washing machine 10. The tub base 44 includes at least one projection 46 that is positioned to mesh with the drum projections 38. Thus, an interleaved or alternating set of projections 38, 46 are positioned adjacent one another. These projections 38, 46 provide a labyrinth type of seal. The projections 38, 46 are arranged as a meshing arrangement to reduce the gap between the drum 18 and tub 20 to provide a force passage to maintain water at water inlet 48.

The water inlet 48 projects through the tub base 44 and is coupled with a water source, which sprays water into the drum 18. The water inlet 48 can have a cylindrical or conical type of surface to inject the water into the drum 18 through the slots 32 in the drum base 24. As seen in FIGS. 4 and 5 , when the water inlet 48 is aligned with the slots 32, water is sprayed into the drum 18. As the drum 18 continues to rotate, the slots 32 are not aligned with the water inlet 48 as illustrated in FIG. 5 . When this occurs, the water is maintained around the water inlet 48 due to the meshing arrangement of the projections 38, 46 providing the labyrinth seal. Additionally, if water seeps below the meshing arrangement, the water will be able to seep into the drum 18 via holes in the cylindrical wall 22 of the drum 18 that are not shown.

The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A drum and tub assembly for a washing machine, comprising: a tub including a tub base at one end of the tub, the tub base including a water inlet; and a rotatable drum positioned within the tub, the rotatable drum including a drum base at one end of the drum and the other end of the drum is open to enable receipt of laundry, the drum base including at least one slot in the drum base, wherein rotation of the rotatable drum causes the water inlet in the tub base to come into alignment with the at least one slot in the drum base and spray water into the rotatable drum through the at least one slot, and as the rotatable drum continues to rotate, the at least one slot is rotated out of alignment with the water inlet such that water is restricted from entering the at least one slot and interrupts the spray of water into the rotatable drum.
 2. The drum and tub assembly of claim 1, wherein there is a gap between the drum base and the tub base and a meshing arrangement between a plurality of projections on the drum base and the tub base reduces or eliminates fluid flow through the gap.
 3. The drum and tub assembly of claim 2, wherein the projections are concentric.
 4. The drum and tub assembly of claim 2, wherein the projections are spaced with respect to one another providing an alternating arrangement.
 5. The drum and tub assembly of claim 2, wherein the projections form a labyrinth seal.
 6. The drum and tub assembly of claim 2, wherein the projections form an interleaved set of projections that are positioned adjacent to one another.
 7. The drum and tub assembly of claim 1, wherein the water inlet has a cylindrical or conical surface to inject the water into the rotatable drum through the at least one slot while the rotatable drum rotates to provide a spray jet of water into the rotatable drum when the at least one slot is aligned with the water inlet.
 8. The drum and tub assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one slot in the drum base includes three slots.
 9. The drum and tub assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one slot is arcuate.
 10. The drum and tub assembly of claim 1, wherein the rotatable drum has an interior cavity for receiving laundry and the at least one slot in the drum base is open to and communicates directly with the interior cavity of the rotatable drum.
 11. A washing machine, comprising: a housing receiving a rotatable drum and a tub; a door coupled with the housing for enabling access to the rotatable drum; the rotatable drum is positioned within the tub, the rotatable drum includes a drum base at one end of and the drum base includes at least one slot in the drum base; the tub includes a tub base at one end of the tub and the tub base includes a water inlet; and a shaft extending through the tub and connected with a motor that is configured to rotate the rotatable drum within the tub, wherein the at least one slot in the drum base is radially spaced from the shaft and rotates into alignment with the water inlet in the tub base where water flows through the at least one slot and into the rotatable drum, and as the at least one slot continues to rotate, the at least one slot is rotated out of alignment with the water inlet such that water is restricted from flowing through the at least one slot.
 12. The washing machine of claim 11, wherein a gap exists between the drum base and the tub base and a meshing arrangement between a plurality of projections on the drum base and the tub base provide a forced passage for maintaining water at the water inlet when the at least one slot is rotated out of alignment with the water inlet and the water is restricted from flowing through the at least one slot.
 13. The washing machine of claim 12, wherein the projections are concentric.
 14. The washing machine of claim 12, wherein the projections are spaced with respect to one another providing an alternating arrangement.
 15. The washing machine of claim 12, wherein the projections form a labyrinth seal.
 16. The washing machine of claim 12, wherein the projections form an interleaved set of projections that are positioned adjacent to one another.
 17. The washing machine of claim 11, wherein the water inlet has a cylindrical or conical surface to inject the water into the rotatable drum through the at least one slot while the rotatable drum rotates to provide a spray jet of water into the rotatable drum when the at least one slot is aligned with the water inlet.
 18. The washing machine of claim 11, wherein the at least one slot in the drum base includes three slots.
 19. The washing machine of claim 11, wherein the at least one slot is arcuate.
 20. The washing machine of claim 11, wherein the rotatable drum has an interior cavity for receiving laundry and the at least one slot in the drum base is open to and communicates directly with the interior cavity of the rotatable drum. 